The construction of a Melbourne Airport Rail through Sunshine is necessary to create better connections to Melbourne Airport for residents in Metropolitan Melbourne, as well as large Victorian regional towns such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.
The project will also attract investment to shift generational disadvantage and deliver contemporary jobs growth, new housing and economic activity that are required to keep pace with the rapid population growth in Melbourne’s west.
The impacts of constructing the Melbourne Airport Rail will be enhanced by the redevelopment of the Sunshine Station Precinct into a visual and iconic superhub, as well as the improved integration of a rebuilt Albion Station with the surrounding Albion Quarter.
Increased transport options will enable residents to access services, facilities, programs and employment, and decrease the social and economic exclusion that can affect overall wellbeing, particularly in a highly disadvantaged community like Brimbank.
Funding the Melbourne Airport Rail
While Council welcomed the Australian Government’s decision in November 2023 to recommit the $5 billion previously promised for the construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail, we are yet to receive that same level of certainty from the Victorian Government. This is due to the ongoing disagreement between the Victorian Government and Melbourne Airport around positioning the airport station above ground or underground.
This is continuing to also cast doubts on other major State Government commitments that have been promised for Melbourne’s west, including the:
- construction of a new train station at Keilor East
- rebuild of Albion Station, and
- implementation of the Sunshine Station masterplan.
We are calling for:
- Construction of the Melbourne Airport Rail according to the initial timeline
- A renewed commitment to build a new train station at Keilor East.